Former State Sen. Richard Pan, a Democrat, advanced to the November ballot after a hotly contested primary in California’s 6th Congressional District, according to the Associated Press. State Democrats redrew the Sacramento-area district last year to make it a relatively safe seat for their party in the general election.
The race in the 6th District is one of several across California shaped by a mid-decade redistricting push by state Democrats, who redrew multiple congressional maps to counter Republican gerrymandering in other states and to solidify their hold on key seats.
Rep. Kevin Kiley also advanced to the November ballot in California after Democrats split his previous congressional district as part of a wider redistricting move to counter gerrymandering in Texas, according to the AP. Kiley dropped his Republican Party affiliation and ran as an independent in the new 6th Congressional District outside Sacramento, which unlike his previous seat leans Democratic.
In a separate race, Sacramento City Councilwoman Mai Vang on Tuesday advanced to November’s general election for a California congressional seat, setting up a Democrat-on-Democrat clash against longtime incumbent Rep. Doris Matsui, the AP reported.